Growing God’s Way

Introduction

Good morning. Will you open your Bibles with me to Hebrews chapter 5? Hebrews chapter 5 this morning, I will be continuing our sermons from Hebrews series that will take place this morning. And yes, that did take place at the 9 o’clock hour, Brother Adam preached, on the point of no return, which blends in well to where we’re where we are going to begin in Hebrews chapter 5 this morning. Will you look with me at verse 11 of Hebrews chapter 5? Hebrews chapter 5 and verse 11 reads, About this, we have much to say, and it is hard to explain. Since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God.

You need milk, not solid food. For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature. For those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. And leading into chapter 6, therefore, let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and a faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. And so we see this warning, really, this admonition that they should have been farther along. Wherever they were, in relative position to where they should have been, they were found lacking.

And in fact, a not so nice description is found at the verse 11. Did you see that? Dull of hearing. Not only was it hard to explain, but he said, since you have become dull of hearing. Now, I don’t know that a lot of people like to be called dull of hearing, but I wonder how many of us all. What was the problem with the people that this letter was being written to? What was the problem that those Christians, those Christians with some sort of Jewish background, were suffering? That they would become dull of hearing. After all, Christ is superior to angels. That’s the point we’ve discussed in our Bible class that we’re studying. And how that is clear that Christ is wonderful. And in fact, as you move on through the book of Hebrews, even into chapters eight and nine, you see how wonderful the new covenant is.

1. Falling Away Is Definitely Possible

How great it is based on better promises than the old covenant. And you think, why do these people, how did they become dull of hearing? What happened? I think it’s interesting sometime that we focus a lot about not falling away. Will you read with me in verse 4? Adam spoke this morning. I said the point of no return, it was on the fact that we can fall away. In verse 4, for it is impossible. In the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift and have shared in the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good news of the Word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away to restore them again to repentance.

Since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. And so you see that falling away is definitely possible. And we see that. I thought about calling my lesson this morning, don’t worry about falling away. And you’ll see why I said that in a minute, but that’s just too directly against the scriptures. If you look with me in chapter 3 and verse 12, look with me quickly. And you see why we should be worried about falling away. Hebrews chapter 3 and verse 12, take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. Certainly you can’t fall from something you’re not at or sitting upon.

And in Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 26, this warning is also strong. For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. That’s a scary dilemma as well. And will you look with me at 2 Peter chapter 2? I want everyone to see this. I get too much joy out of this passage, but the image it brings is too powerful. It’s a terribly sad passage when you face the reality of what the picture is generating. But consider how strong this picture is and how clear the point is being made. In 2 Peter chapter 2 and in verse 20. For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome.

The last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them. The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire. You’re welcome for that wonderful picture this morning. You think about that picture, that’s pretty ugly. It’s pretty sad. And like I said, the reality of that fact being that it’s worse to have heard to be a Christian and to fall away than to have never heard is a grim reality. And so as Christians, we live and we’re we’re very careful and guarded to not participate in sin.

2. We Do Not Live Just to Not Sin

We know sin is bad. The wages of sin is death, right? We know that all of sin and falls short of the glory of God, but we don’t want to sin. I’m very glad that that is our aim. And that should be our aim each and every day, to not sin. But that is not all of the Christians’ responsibility. We do not live on this earth to not sin.

I think that’s what the Hebrew writer, at least the other facet that we’re here for, is addressing. Go back to Hebrews chapter 5 and verse 11. What did he expect of them? What was his problem with them? Yes, they were dull of hearing, but verse 12 kind of states it pretty plainly. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food. I think you see, as this reasoning is developed, it’s punctuated in chapter 6 and verse 1. Well, you look closely with me. The point of the lesson is found in chapter 6 and verse 1. All of that said, therefore, let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity.

We are to go on. We need to press on to maturity. Yes, falling away is possible, but we don’t exist just to not do bad things. We are to glorify God. As Christians, we should be transformed by the renewal of our minds. Isn’t that what Paul wrote about in Romans chapter 12? And so that’s a lot different of a lifestyle. If I’m not just avoiding sin, that’s difficult in its own right. But if I’m having to press on, if I’m having to grow, that means work. And can I tell you for this morning’s lesson that I realized? I need to actually think about growing. It’s not going to happen on accident. We’re not going to just stumble and fall into better, to being better Christians. It doesn’t happen that way.

How do you avoid sin? How do you avoid falling away? Well, I make sure that I don’t go places I shouldn’t go. I try to censor what I hear so I don’t hear things that I shouldn’t hear. I try not to see things that I shouldn’t see. We take precautions. But what do we do in the name of growth? Are we concerned? With as verse 13 of chapter 5 says, having, or excuse me, verse 14, having our powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good and evil. I wonder where I was this time last year as a Christian. I’m thankful that so many are here this morning and we serve an awesome God even this very morning. Amen? This is a wonderful thing. I’m glad that we are all here.

And so that says something about being here in general. It’s likely that most of us who are here are here because we want to be, not out of force. We’re here because we know God is to be served. We know this is what Christians are to do. But I wonder how many of us are so different from this day last year. November 8, 2014 was a different time than November 8, 2015. There’s a news flash for you. Consider, though, what were you like last year? What did you know about the Bible? What was your, what are some of your outward signs? Did you go to church more or less than now? Do you study your Bible more or less than now? Do you pray to God more or less now?

3. Have We Become Dull of Hearing?

What is your life like now as opposed to a year ago? And I wonder what steps did you take this past year? If I were to ask you as a Christian, what are you doing to grow closer to Christ? What are you doing to press on to maturity? Something that Hebrews chapter 6 explicitly says we are to be doing. How did you do that? What steps did you take to do that? I think if we look at the scriptures, the question is begged, how can I grow? There’s obviously the expectation there that we are to grow, but what is expected? Well, you see the first one in verse 11. In Hebrews chapter 5 and verse 11, about this we have much to say, and it’s hard to explain.

What’s hard to explain? The context of chapter 5. Some of the truths that the Hebrew writer was getting into were not as easy as others. The scripture is plain that there are some elements of the Bible that are harder to understand than others. In fact, aren’t we warned that some men might take those harder passages and rest them to their own destruction? Just consider that thought. But what is the problem since you have become dull of hearing? Have we ever gotten to a point where we just become dull of hearing? What about just being tired of hearing? Do we do we get to reach a point where our Bible study kind of falls back to where we only really open our Bibles on Sunday morning and Wednesday night?

And if so, what does that say about my Christianity? What does that say about my love of God? If I should be pressing on to maturity and I’m not even reading what God has to say? I wonder if I’ve ever even read the Bible in its entirety anyway, but if I have, is there not more to learn? Is there not more to grow? Have I become dull of hearing? How many of you have ever tried to be, to try to take on the challenge of a diet? Have you ever tried that? A couple honest people here. I’m going to pretend that more of you were raising your heads, hands in your mind. Now, if you’re going on a diet, you do that for a couple reasons.

One, general health, general well-being. What do you do? You set forth a plan, you eat foods that are healthier, that give you bodily function, X, Y, and Z better. But also a lot of it, let’s just be plain. A lot of it’s about weight loss. And you know what the truth is? If I eat how I like to eat, I could gain hundreds of pounds. I love food. Now, do you diet just so that you don’t gain hundreds of pounds? Well, there’s usually a little bit more to it, isn’t it? Don’t you sometimes diet so that you can actually lose weight? Don’t you diet so you can be healthier? There’s more to it than just the one negative form. And that’s what we do with Christianity.

Going back to the idea of not just staying away from sin, not just trying to avoid falling away. We need to actively press on towards Christ. And so when I’m examining how I can grow, I need to move past just not doing bad things. I need to examine what does Jesus want from me. In Romans chapter 12, we already cited that transformation of the mind. What are some things that Jesus would want me to do? Well, one of those things, undoubtedly, would be to read the scriptures, to understand what is God’s will for man, and perhaps motivating in that factor is what has God done for me? If we take just a minute to examine all that God has done for me, all that God has done for mankind through Jesus, and even going way back to the creation of the world.

4. Setting Specific Goals: You Ought to Be Teachers

Are we not stunned that our God cares about us in such a powerful, loving way? Isn’t that remarkable that the creator of the heavens and the earth knows me by name and cares about me and all of us? That is a remarkable thing. And that should push me to be better, to be greater. And so, one way that I think we should do this this morning, and I want to look at several ways is setting specific goals. And you see a second goal in verse 13. Everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness since he is a child. Well, what do we want to do? We want to be skilled. In verse 12, there’s a reason for that. For by this time, you ought to be teachers.

I need to not only reflect on last year, but in so doing, I need to realize what was my impact on others last year. Who did I introduce the gospel to? Who was I able to teach? I know there’s warnings in James chapter 3 about being a teacher because you’ll endure a harsher judgment. I understand that not everyone views themselves as qualified to teach, but can I can I reason with you for a minute about this? Hebrews chapter 5 and verses 11 through chapter 6 and verse 3 teach us that as Christians we should be pressing on. And if I’m not skilled, if I’m not able to teach, can I say that I should get myself prepared to teach? Can we understand that if if we’re not where we need to be in a certain area of serving Christ, we should get there.

Brothers and sisters, we can do that. Amen. Brothers and sisters, we do believe we can teach others the gospel. Amen.

We must get there. If we say I am disqualified from teaching because I do not know how, great, now I have a goal. You see what’s great about this growing, this idea of we should be somewhere, it’s individual. We’re not all supposed to be in the same place, and that’s a good thing for Adam and I because Brother Bob is way beyond us in his Bible knowledge. And if we were all there, it would be a lot different. But God expects me to do what I can do. Jesus expects me to grow in my faith, to grow closer to God, including my willingness to teach others about him. And it doesn’t just have to be here’s how to do a five-part Bible study. You could introduce someone to a teacher.

Do you realize that it really is that easy in that sense? If you’re not there yet, while you’re on the side equipping yourselves in our classroom, I believe it’s number 16 this quarter, where Adam is teaching people how to go over the big picture of the Bible. While you’re equipping yourself, do you notice how I’m saying that while you’re equipping yourself? Invite people to be with those who do teach. Teach others that they need the Lord now. Not just when I’m ready to teach. And not just when I feel comfortable. But because we need the Lord. We need what he offers. And that includes others also. We need to be willing to introduce at least one person to the gospel. And do you see what’s interesting about reflection and introducing one person?

5. I Need to Compare Myself to the Word

These are specific goals. When we sit back and say, I just need to grow. I just need to get better. Do you know what happens? Not much. I need to compare myself to the Word. Will you look with me at 1 Timothy chapter 3? I find this really interesting in 1 Timothy chapter 3. You have the qualifications, as we call them for elders. I want I want men, of course, especially to think of this because I believe the scripture is plain that this applies to men. But I want all of us to think just for a minute about these characteristics. Who should take on these qualities? What type of Christian has these? In 1 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 1, the saying is trustworthy. If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.

Therefore, an overseer must be above reproach. The husband of one wife, sober minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity, keeping his children submissive. For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may be puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders so that he may not fall into disgrace into a snare of the devil. And a couple of you are thinking, well, I’m already disqualified. I’m not the husband of one wife.

I don’t have children to rule well. That’s fine. But what about these other characteristics? Do you see them in verse 2 starting with sober minded? Which of us should not be pressing on to be sober minded? Self controlled, respectable, hospitable. How hospitable have I been this past year? Can I set goals that say I’m going to try to reach out to people? I am going to be more hospitable this year, and here is how. We can do this. We can grow. We must press on. I like the phrase that Brother Terry Francis used when he was here. He talked about the church often has pew potatoes. There’s people who, when they’re here, they come and they sit and they occupy their space, and that’s about the extent of the spiritual life.

Brothers and sisters, if that’s our concept of Christianity, we have failed. That is not what the word of God reveals. What does it teach us? The elders, the leaders of an individual, local flock, are to have these qualities. Why? Because that’s what pleasing God is. If they are going to lead, they need to be developed in their faith in their relationship with the Lord. Why shouldn’t I be developed in my faith and relationship with the Lord? Not only should I not be a drunkard, verse 3, not violent, but gentle, not quarrelsome. Why can’t we do these things? And if I don’t ever think about being more self-controlled and say, here is how I am going to get there, what is the likelihood that I will? We look at me in Titus chapter 1.

In Titus chapter 1. This is why in verse 5, I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order and appoint elders in every town as I directed you. If anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer as God’s steward must be above reproach. You’ve seen that before, haven’t you? Why should we not as Christians strive to be above reproach? Well, if we’re Christians, we’re going to reach that standing. He must not be arrogant or quick tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. If I’m reading this text, if I’m seeing that this is what God wants from his elders, why am I not training myself to be that way as a man?

Whether I intend to take the office, whether I desire it, to use the words of 1 Timothy chapter 3 or not, what about the scriptures tells me that that’s optional? That that’s not how I should be. If we want a specific goal, it should be I want to be more like Christ. I want to see the word and not feel bad because I fall short, but I want to shore up those areas of weakness. And I want to be like God wants me to be.

But then what? What is our goal then? It’s easy when you’re thinking of how to be saved because you say, I see what the scriptures say. I need to believe, I need to repent, I need to confess, I need to be baptized. Why? For the forgiveness of my sins. But now what? Well, I need to grow. I need to learn. I need my powers of discernment trained. Great. How do we do that? Brothers and sisters, we need to view Christianity seriously. We need to realize I have a need to grow, and here is how I will do it. I would love to come up here this morning and say, here, step one, here should be our first goal. Step two, here’s the second goal, here’s how to do it, here’s what month to check in on.

But we’re all different. Can I add that maybe a goal we should all take is in the next month and a half? I guess we got more than that till the end of the year. I’ll give you till the end of the year. Can you pick one thing that you can do in this church to help others? Can you think in your mind with me right now? What is something I can do for somebody else? How can I serve? I realize that I need to do more with this. Maybe you need to read more about the scripture. Maybe I need to learn. Can you make a goal in your mind right now? What steps will I take to do that? How many times a week will I read my Bible?

6. Press On: The Best Way to Not Fall Away

Who will hold me accountable? Are we taking growth seriously? Do we meditate day and night on the law of the Lord? God is offering us something amazing. But God doesn’t just expect us to not fall away. God expects us to press on to maturity. And if I was to go on a diet and not change anything, but just try to stay away from some of the extra candy and the extra popcorn and change nothing else. You know what? I may do pretty good. I may look okay. I may look a little better than I did before. But if I don’t change everything about my diet, and I’m going from slop to just less slop, how healthy am I going to be? Brothers and sisters, it’s not about just not falling away.

There is a real serious warning in scriptures about not falling away. But can I tell you the best way to avoid sin? The best way to not fall away is to press on to maturity. Do you see it in Philippians chapter 3? Know what Paul says in Philippians chapter 3. Turn there with me. If you need a mission statement, find it here. Philippians chapter 3 and verse 12. Not that I have already obtained this or I’m already perfect, but I press on to make it my own. Because Christ Jesus has made me his own. If there is any reason to press on, there it is. Because Christ has made me his own. In verse 13, brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own, but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind.

Do you see it with me here? And straining forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. We know that part. Will you look at verse 15 and think about Hebrews chapter 5 and 6? Let those of us who are mature think this way. And if in anything you think otherwise, God reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained. What type of people think the way that Paul outlined? What type of people press on towards the goal? What type of people forget what lies behind and strain forward? By the way, strain. Guess what type of action that’s going to be? Hard. It may be difficult.

It’s going to take concerted effort. What type of people think that way? Mature people. Mature Christians don’t sit back and hope that they grow. Mature Christians realize God has a standard. And when I look at the Word of God and I see just how far short I fall, I will not only find myself on my knees praying for forgiveness, but I will set goals today to grow closer to Christ. Because it’s worth it. Because that is what Jesus expects of me. See, when we look at Hebrews chapter 6, we’re drawn to verse 4. For it is impossible. We like things that are impossible. We like to see, is that true? Is it really impossible? In the case of those who have once been enlightened, follow with me here.

Who have tasted the heavenly gift and have shared in the Holy Spirit and have tasted the goodness of the Word of God and the powers of the age to come. I’m going to stop there. That’s describing Christians. We make that point so that we can teach others, yes, you can fall away. But look at what we have. Look at what Christians are offered. Do you see it? We can be enlightened. We can taste the heavenly gift. We have shared in the Holy Spirit. We can taste the goodness of the Word of God and the powers of the age to come. Jesus died for us. Not only do we not want to put his sacrifice to make it in vain, brothers and sisters, God expects something from us in verse 7.

For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned. If I’m reading the scriptures, if I’m setting goals for maturity, I will grow. I will learn. And do you see at the end of chapter 5? That mark of maturity of a Christian. My powers of discernment will be trained to distinguish good and evil. That’s going to take care of the falling away part. Brothers and sisters, if I’m pressing on to Christ, I’m forgetting what lies behind. I’m not going to be pulled back because Jesus is calling for me.

Conclusion

He’s calling for you. But we must not be stagnant. If we sit still, we will fall behind. We must press on. We must strain forward. Brothers and sisters, let’s grow God’s way. Let’s press on to the eternity that He’s offering us. It may be that you’re here this morning and there’s never been a time that you’ve taken on the name of Christ. You haven’t been baptized into Christ. You haven’t had your sins forgiven. And so the first step is clear. You want a goal to have? Come to Jesus today. Taste the heavenly gift. Share in the goodness of the Word. If you’ve come, you realize maybe you’re not quite a pew potato. But you’re not growing like you should. You know what may help? Brothers and sisters in Christ who love you, who will help you, and who will encourage you.

If there’s anything we can do for you, Christian or soon to be Christian, come forward now as we stand and sing the invitation song.